Published 1 year ago
by
Andrew Dyce
, Updated December 5th, 2013 at 5:26 pm,

It looks like The CW can breathe easy about their upcoming series The Flash, as the character’s first introduction on last night’s episode of Arrow drew plenty of viewers. More than any episode this season, in fact, with a reported audience of 3.165 million – a 22% jump from the previous episode.

Gustin proved that he has the charm to stand alongside Arrow‘s leading man Stephen Amell in The CW’s budding DC universe, but he won’t be able to carry the load himself when his series debuts. For that, showrunner Andrew Kreisberg looks to be turning to Barry Allen’s longtime love, Iris West.

But if the character descriptions of Iris and her father (uncovered by Bludhaven Banter) are any indication, the show’s writers are looking to make some changes:

IRIS – 22-28 – African-American – As smart as she is beautiful, Iris is in grad school studying psychology. She’s also Barry’s mile a minute, fast-talking, quick-witted best friend. Her father, Detective West, took in Barry when his mother was murdered, and his father was wrongly accused and imprisoned for her murder. In a tough childhood for Barry, she was the one “not tough” thing. She’s unaware of Barry’s strong feelings for her.

DETECTIVE WEST – Late 40s to Early 50s – African American – Detective West is an honest, blue-collar cop who’s seen it all. A soulful, funny caring father to Iris, and a surrogate father to Barry, West came up through the foster system himself. He took in Barry after his mother’s murder and his father’s imprisonment. He believes in Barry and supports Barry’s efforts to prove his father’s innocence.

These descriptions are not yet official, but if they are, it looks like Kreisberg and The CW are looking to add a bit of diversity. Obviously the idea of changing the ethnicity of a comic book character is going to raise the same old arguments that we’re not particularly interested in addressing (for those interest, we’ve already made our opinions clear). But it’s the other changes to Iris West’s character, and the introduction of Detective West that have our attention.

Normally portrayed as a reporter in Central City, Iris West will be re-imagined as not an admirer of Barry Allen’s alter ego, but his childhood best friend. For the most part, the years of Barry Allen’s life following the death of his mother and subsequent incarceration of his father are somewhat ambiguous in the comics. And rather than shying away from answering decades-old questions, Kreisberg’s team is taking the opportunity to distinguish their character from those that came before.

By presenting Iris’ dad as a caring, adoptive father-figure to Barry, fighting alongside him to prove Barry’s father’s innocence makes one thing clear: The Flash will likely not be as bleak as Arrow. At least, the pieces are in place to do something markedly different. With a more fantastical premise and a more lighthearted actor, The CW seems to be straying from the Christopher Nolan influence that shaped Arrow‘s first season – something that’s probably for the best.

Not that it wasn’t the proper approach for a character like Green Arrow (an admitted knockoff of Batman). But if Barry Allen was scarred by the loss of his parents or father figure, only to find romance with a somewhat public figure possessing, say, an overbearing father, the show would be sharing a lot in common with Arrow. And if DC and Warner Bros. seem to be planning for a big screen incarnation of The Flash as well, then we say the more – and more different – the merrier.

What do you think of the changes reportedly being made for The Flash’s foray into television? Is it encouraging to see that Kreisberg’s team is charting their own course, or worrying? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Episode 1 – Barry saves her, she learns “secret identity”, they get it on, THE END. She can then use her psychology to identify bad guy motives, patterns etc. and be suitably worried when Barry has to zoom (lol) off to beat up some bad guys with his speed fist

At least Oliver and Felicity KNOW they have feelings for each other and that Oly won’t act on them so it’s not a wholly terrible story point.

I strongly disagree with this one! The only reason here is to have an African American Wally West! You can see that coming!
Once it does Gustin better watch his back because it’s only a matter of time until he’s killed off.

So they’ve just debuted a TV Flash and now they’re casting someone else to make a cameo in Batman v Superman? Why????? There is no reason for competing visions. If Grant Gustin’s Flash is in the Man Of Steel universe, so what?

Gustin looks to be a good Barry. The storyline and aesthetic changes of Iris aren’t that big a deal – Iris being a reporter was always a ripoff of Lois Lane anyway.

Well, I am looking forward to a new black female leading lady on TV. But I’m not sure why the actress has to be specifically African-American, can’t they just leave casting open-ended for women who are Hispanic, Arab, Asian, etc? Or better yet make an original character, like Diggle on Arrow. Also, a black Iris West is technically racebending. CW knows they need to be mindful of diversity but I’m just sayin’.

I really don’t get WHAT Hollywood’s incessant need to replace white characters with black ones in comic based stories is, it appears to be a watershed event though. Is Affirmative Action giving them some sort of kickback for every replaced character?

As you said, if this TRULY is about international diversification, where are the ethnic representatives?

So, it’s ok for them to replace black characters with white characters? I don’t get why people think that it is wrong and have temper tantrums when a white character is replaced with a black actor and actress? Why do people make a big deal about us wanting to see someone who looks like us on TV, in the movies, and in other artistic ventures? Is it wrong for us to want to see good role models that look like us? Why can’t black actors and actresses be cast to play important roles, big roles, and for them to be cast to play roles that are based on the typical stereotypes that people associate with all black people?

I don’t believe there’s any problem with casting African American actors/actresses in tv shows/movies as main characters. I think the real issue is how this trend results in the original story being changed in regards to the comic’s characters. I don’t know about others but in my opinion, if a character in a comic is Caucasian, why does that need to be changed? For international diversity? A better solution would be to add an original character who would fit the profile. If staying true to the comics is considered racist then I suppose I’m the one who’s really confused….

“I don’t know about others but in my opinion, if a character in a comic is Caucasian, why does that need to be changed? ”

- Because they didn’t find any caucasian actresses they felt fit the role. Simple. It’s only a problem is the source material stems from something in the real world. Books, comics, etc. are fair game. After all, that’s always been the case when it comes to people feeling it was alright if characters of color were played by white actors/actresses. Case in point: the Akira casting call listings.

So, there are like what, 2 races? Well, there are Middle Eastern terrorists and Asian assassins. And black people must always be best friend sidekicks to white people (NEVER ALLOW A SHOW TO DEPICT A BLACK PROTAGONIST WITH A WHITE BFF SIDEKICK, THAT WOULD BE INSANE). All good-natured white people have a black person as their best friend, but just one. Too many black friends, and that’s creepy. It’s like owning too many cats.

Seriously, politically-correct people are usually very racist.

I also question the changing of races quite often. It’d be one thing to do open casting, and a person of a different ethnicity gets the role. But the recent pattern seems to be a mandatory casting of black people for once white characters. It’s like there’s an insistence it has to be this way. How about more characters of races that aren’t white with the following two traits: (1) if they’re black, they don’t have to have the word black in their superhero/supervillain name (2) just because they’re black they don’t have to be African royalty or if they’re of Chinese descent they’re not from China

Seriously, why can’t more stuff be like Harold and Kumar? They’re both of Asian ancestry, but they’re just American guys. And they do stuff completely unrelated to race at all (even though they do encounter some racist people that bring up their race).

I did not say black people can’t wear red… Look at it this way. Look at John Stewart and his costume. The green and black is well complemented by the color of his skin. It fits. Now make the green in his suit red. That looks weird, right? Now keep the red, and make John white. The red suddenly looks better. Brown and red do not contrast eachother in a nice way, or at least that is what I think.

I would say that you are sadly mistaken because there are shades of brown that look good in red. I know this because I am one of those people. So, hell no it does not look weird, but you sound like you have an issue with John Stewart being played by a black man. Your ignorance is showing for you to claim that brown and red do not contrast each other in a nice way. If you do a little research, you will find that brown is a neutral color that contrasts well with red. Wow,”the red suddenly looks better”; hell no it doesn’t, but I’m sure that you “have” a red neck. I can almost bet that the guy in the green costume will not be black because Moors skin color is not black. We are brown and copper skin tones. If you look in an old unabridged webster; the definition of black is one who lacks hue, who are pale, without color, or to be bleached.

I simply cannot imagine an Iris West that isn’t a ginger lol. All in all, I wish they would stay true to the comics. Iris should stay as a reporter. Have Barry’s childhood take place in an orphanage. Even the fact that Grant Gustin’s hair isn’t blonde and eyes aren’t blue bothers me a little because it’s not true to comics lol, but he plays a good Barry Allen.

There were plenty of character changes in the original Flash TV show, so there’s no problem doing it here, as long as those changes make sense to the character. In the 1990 show, Barry’s mother wasn’t killed and his father wasn’t in jail for the crime. Those are integral to Barry’s life as a forensic police scientist, and help drive his persona as the Flash.

Francis Manapul’s excellent changes to the character’s powers should be included in this adaptation. Those changes are the best things to happen to the Flash since Carmine Infantino.

@Hypoxic “In the 1990 show, Barry’s mother wasn’t killed and his father wasn’t in jail for the crime. Those are integral to Barry’s life as a forensic police scientist, and help drive his persona as the Flash.”

Well maybe that didn’t appear on the 90′s show because that backstory was written in 2009 (The Flash: Rebirth).

I’m cool with these character changes. Granted, I’m not a hardcore Flash follower. There are so many female characters who are reporters in comic book stories that I don’t mind some of them being given different careers or identities. News reporters are not the thing that they used to be in the world, anyway.

My main concern is that the show might be too lighthearted. No, not ever DC property need be Nolanized, but nothing kills like a tone that is too jokey and disposable.

Am I the only one that’s noticing Iris is an only child? I mean doesn’t she have a brother—Rudy…? It’s really confusing, without Rudy there’s no Kid Flash (Wally West). As in Wally would not exist at all, not even in the far future.